I truly am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this project. I learned so much about leadership, marketing, the fashion industry, and all the intricate elements of a market entry strategy. Being able to work with not only Beliza but also the Chamber of Commerce was such a unique and valuable experience. As the project lead for the global branding portion of the project, I helped to conduct market research about U.S. consumers and the swimwear industry via focus groups, create a competitor analysis matrix, construct a positioning map, and develop target consumer portfolios for Beliza. Our team also compiled a creative portfolio of digital marketing strategies, social media marketing strategies, website design improvements, potential partnerships, and a potential influencer program to build brand awareness. As a joint team, we worked together on many different aspects of the project including researching potential boutique and hotel partnerships. The project involved a lot of creative thinking which, while challenging, allowed everyone to contribute in their own unique way.
I also had the opportunity to travel with my team to present to our client in Marseille, France, and travel to Paris for a few days which was an amazing experience I will never forget. The team at Beliza was very receptive to our ideas and was excited to implement some of our proposed strategies. Presenting deliverables in this professional setting gave me real-world business experience that I know will help me in my future career endeavors. My fellow travel team members and I had a great experience in France and it was fun to see the intersection of French culture and the business environment in action. I am so grateful to SIBC for making this experience possible and cannot wait to continue working on more projects.
-Anna Kirkpatrick
Being a co-lead on the Beliza project over the course of 2 semesters was an enriching experience. Managing a team to execute the scope of work needs Beliza had was fulfilling and eye opening. There were challenges along the way but nothing impossible for the Beliza team. Through out the year we received feedback on what was great, as well as what needed to be improved. Having such a big team was amazing because of all the unique skills everyone brought to the table. By the end of the school year we had a dense project to present to our client and the excitement received for it was only achievable by the cohesive work all my fellow colleagues brought to the team.
-Sean Brenot
This was an amazing project to be apart of! This project experience gave me the opportunity to be able to work with a real company and assess the strengths and weakness of coming into the U.S. Market from an international country. It allowed me to learn about the U.S. Market Strategies and Branding Strategies and gave me the ability to have a real life experience with working with a company! Marseille was so amazing and working with Beliza was so much fun to do. Thank you so much SIBC, this was an amazing opportunity I won't forget about!
-Tess Eichenberger